The settlement with the Southern California Gas Company required Public Health to form a Scientific Oversight Committee (SOC) to guide the Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study (Health Study). The SOC has been key to the Health Study development to date, reviewing community input, deciding on the Study's focus and priorities and developing the statement of work for the Health Study RFP.
Going forward, the SOC will review research plans and provide ongoing guidance to UCLA as they advance their work.
Additionally, the SOC will independently analyze and determine whether the Health Study is on track to achieving goals they've established and the merits of continuing the Health Study. This analysis will happen at the end of the Health Study's third year and each following year.
The Scientific Oversight Committee (SOC) will:
The SOC will receive regular updates on the Health Study from the researchers during the implementation of the Health Study.
The Scientific Oversight Committee (SOC) includes experts in the areas of environmental health, public health and other related research fields, who are providing guidance on research design and implementation, monitoring of progress, and interpretation of findings. In addition to independent experts (appointed through a public nomination process), the SOC includes representatives from the following government agencies:
US Department of Health and Human Services (US HHS)
California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
California Air Resources Board (CARB)
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health)
The SOC members' expertise reflects concerns identified by community members and other stakeholders. The following areas of expertise were identified as meeting these concerns: Environmental Epidemiology, Disaster Epidemiology, Toxicology, Community-Based Research, Exposure Assessment, Disaster Behavioral Health, Environmental Science, and Air Modeling. Additionally, experience studying exposures and impacts from oil, gas, and related chemicals was identified as particularly relevant and valuable.
